UWindsor students have the upper hand among Canadian universities when it comes to the publishing process, thanks to a creative writing professor who involves them in his publishing company.

Black Moss Press founder Marty Gervais presents two manuscripts each year to the students in his editing practicum course. They have to go through the complete editing process, giving them a real feel for what the industry is like.

Gervais said it is the only course in Canada that allows students to work with real manuscripts they marshal through the entire publishing process.

“I went school at the right time at age 23. I loved the education,” he said. “But while our students have very analytical skills, they don’t have the practical skills they need in the real world. What this does is gives them a taste of that.”

Gervais splits the class in two groups; each section is given one book to edit thoroughly.

“It’s about them making mistakes and learning from them,” he said, “They are treated as members of an editorial board, not as students.”

In the second semester course, the publishing practicum students see their hard work pay off as Black Moss Press publishes the book and invites the community to a launch party.

Kate Hargreaves, a graduate assistant for the course, called her experience “the real deal.”

“It gave me the base of what I needed to expand in other publishing capacities,” she said.

The two books selected this year were poem collections, Bride in Black by Mary Ann Mulhern and Day Moon Rising by Terry Ann Carter. They will be launched in April.

- Ashley Quinton